These charming little quilts are inspired by Mid-Century Modern design, and are a great skill-building project to learn a number of quilting techniques.
Work small, Work smart, look great.
3 hours: You will start with a simple, modern color palette of neutral fabrics with a flash of color. Clean lines combined with simple design give each tiny composition a sophisticated feeling. Since you are working very small, this is a great project for using small scraps and bits of special fabric.
Participants will learn the quilt-as-you-go method, and a PDF materials and supplies list will be emailed in advance. Hand stitching adds a sleek, linear element. Finishing techniques will be demonstrated.
ZOOM WORKSHOP DETAILS
Select a range of neutral fabrics (all light, medium or dark), and a bright accent color. Solids, and subtle, small scale prints or textures work best.
Cut cotton batting and backing fabric into 5″ squares.
Cut a selection of the neutral fabrics into small strips (sizes will be provided).
Cut a small amount of the bright accent color fabric.
Learn the quilt-as-you-go technique, working from the inside out.
Explore strip piecing and leaving the raw edges on the outside for extra texture.
Trim your small quilt blocks and stay stitch the edges.
Learn about hand stitching, and experiment with adding your own design.
Sew the backing onto the top of your mini quilts, leaving a space for turning.
Turn and press, then do a final stitching around the perimeter
A complete PDF supply list, plus step-by-step notes and templates will be emailed to each participant. This is an all-levels class and class size is limited to 24 attendees to ensure one-on-one time.
WHO
Presented by David Owen Hastings. He is looking forward to sharing and sewing with us! For more about David, please visit his website or follow him on Instagram.
WHERE
In the comfort of your own sewing room. This workshop is a 3-hour live-stream event, conducted on Zoom, consisting of live instruction (no recording, please). You should have the current version of Zoom installed on your computer or laptop. Guidance for getting started will be sent in advance of the workshop.
WHEN
One week after David Owen Hastings’ lecture at our June meeting: Saturday, June 12 from 2pm to 5pm PST.
HOW
Workshop Sign-Up is now OPEN!
The workshop fee for members is $40.00 and can easily be paid via PayPal to iemodernquiltguild@gmail.com. A workshop confirmation will be sent to you shortly after receipt of paid notification from PayPal. If you are unfamiliar with making a payment via PayPal, here’s a helpful link.
Alternatively, you may also pay by check (checks payable to IEMQG) directly to our Treasurer, Candy. Please email Candy at candiceascott@yahoo.com for payment instructions. Please note, we will open the workshop to non-members at the same rate starting Monday, May 3rd.
The workshop handouts will be emailed to you approximately two weeks prior to the workshop and the Zoom link will be sent directly by David Owen Hastings a few days before the workshop.
Spring has sprung! (Or maybe we’ve already skipped spring and headed right into summer!) Either way, it’s beautiful outside and I’m having a hard time staying inside to sew!
Our membership is growing and one thing nice to come out the Covid experience is that even though some of our members have moved out of the area they can still join us for our meetings and drop-in sew nights on Zoom! Ah, technology (I’ll still be happier when we can meet in person)!
I’d like to say a BIG “Thank You” to all the Board members who have gone above and beyond! Laura, keeping our interesting program options running smoothly; Candy, taking care of our finances; Becky, for keeping the Members’ Corner up to date and sending updates to our membership; Lynn, for keeping our records accurate and doing a fantastic job on the “What is a Modern Quilt” series; Patti, for taking care of social media; Kim, for taking care of new members and the roster; and Gayle, for organizing our Opportunity Quilt and all the charity quilts / pillowcases for the House of Ruth. BRAVO!!!
Our November retreat at Vina de Lestonnac in Temecula is now full, but have started a wait list in the event spots opens up. Payment of the balance will be due by the September meeting at which time we’ll send out more details about the retreat.
We’ve got some great speakers and workshops coming up as well as our Member University later in the year. If you have a skill, technique or little trick of the trade you’d like to share, please let us know!
A huge thanks to Debbi – we loved hearing about her modern quilting journey! Below are a few highlights of her presentation:
Debbi shared how she started her journey in childhood, then middle school, college, her move to Washington DC and her professions as an interior designer and architect.
Debbi showed traditional quilts, quilts inspired by her travels, and shared her first experience at Road 2 California.
Debbi also works with fiber arts, stained glass, and participates in GISH, a worldwide scavenger hunt. She is also getting back to her beginning with garment sewing.
ADDITIONAL MEETING DETAILS
We continued with Lynn Hanna’s ‘What is a Modern Quilt?’ series, Part 5. Lynn showed examples of minimalism quilts. Looking forward to Lynn’s negative space presentation next month!
Be sure to check out the Share and Show photos for this month on our Facebook and Instagram sites.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
2021 RETREAT: Our annual retreat this year is at Vina de Lestonnac in Temecula and is scheduled for November 8-10th. We have filled the 20 spots available, but we have started a Wait List in the event a spot opens up. Please contact us at iemodernquiltguild@gmail.com if you would like to be added.
GLOBAL QUILT CONNECTIONS: This organization was created last year due to Covid and they connect professional teachers with quilters and guilds in a virtual world via Zoom. They are presenting a special event called “All Star Virtual Sampler Platter Event” on Saturday, May 22 and Sunday, May 23 from 12 pm to 3 pm PST. In this live Zoom meeting an All-Star cast of 18 quilt teachers will demonstrate some of their favorite quilting techniques over two different days. It’s a showcase of a wide variety of styles and techniques, from traditional to modern and art quilting techniques with something to please everyone! You will receive a PDF that includes written instructions to go along with each teacher’s demonstration, as well as a page with tips for making the most of the live demonstrations and the Zoom link. Be on the lookout for this email going out on or about May 17th. If you don’t receive it, please contact us at iemodernquiltguild@gmail.com. We would value your feedback on the teachers that interested you the most (or least).
MEET & EAT: We have a Meet & Eat scheduled for Saturday, May 15, 2021. We’ll be meeting from 11 am to 3 pm. Bring your lunch and join in with friends at Shamel Park, Riverside. It is just off the 91 freeway (Arlington Exit). The address is 3650 Arlington Ave, Riverside, California. We hope you can join us!
THE VIOLET PROJECT / PROTEST: This is a collection of 8-inch square fiber art pieces that are created in half blue and half red, so the overall effect when displayed is violet. Our nation is currently experiencing a lot of division, much along political lines. The purple is meant to unify our country along common goals. The ultimate success of this project depends upon makers from across all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and all American territories to join together to use their time and talents to make this colossal visual gesture of friendly protest to every member of the 117th US Congress.
An exhibit is currently open at the Phoenix Art Museum through September. Then the pieces will be sent to every member of congress in support of working together for the good of our country.
You can contribute squares by contacting violetprotest.com. They will send you directions, labels, and everything you need to participate.
Patti Reyes, 1 of 5 Quilt Squares for the Violet Protest Project
Lynn Hanna’s Violet Protest Project Quilt Squares
LANTERNS OF HOPE: Lanterns of Hope is a quilt of encouragement. The pattern was originally designed with the dream of a world without childhood cancer, however, the quilt has come to symbolize light in the darkness – a hope of a future where, to borrow from author Sally Lloyd-Jones, “all sad things have come untrue.” Whether you have a loved one who is sick, are grieving personal loss, or are heartbroken over the injustice of the world, this quilt is for you. It is a reminder that every one of us can be a light in the darkness, bringing hope, encouragement, and change to our world. You can purchase this quilt pattern to support Asian resistance to violence here.
Lanterns of Hope Quilt
UPCOMING CHALLENGE: Take a quilt block, repeat it lots of times, and arrange using an alternate grid to make a modern quilt. Additional details to follow soon.
Debbi LoCicero has been a member of the IEMQG for less than 1 year and she is also new to modern quilting. However, she has been sewing since she was 7 years old and quilting for over 30 years. Her career started as a Fine Arts Major in Textile Design and evolved into interior design where her knowledge of fabrics, design and color could take center stage. But that wasn’t her final landing spot. After working as an interior designer for 4 years, she wanted more. Graduating with a Degree in Architecture, Debbi spent her career designing healthcare and biomedical research facilities. Quilting and the friendship of quilters became her way to relax from the complexities and fast pace of architectural design. Join us on April 3rd to learn more about her “Journey To Modern Quilting” and where it is taking her today.
Gayle Bennett, Charity Chairperson, has an update on the Guild’s featured charity for 2021:
Charity works are a big part of our quilting community and we are excited about our current charity, House of Ruth. Established in 1977, they provide emergency shelter services and transitional living programs to victims of domestic violence, both women and men, and their children. There are six facilities in the areas they serve in eastern Los Angeles County and western San Bernardino County.
After several months of phone contact while Covid-19 risk was high, I was finally able to meet with the Community Outreach Coordinator, Sabrina. They were thrilled to receive twenty-nine quilts from our guild on March 1st and look forward to receiving more in the future. The organization also welcomes pillowcases, and we will post a copy of their ‘Wish List’ for anyone who would like to help fill those needs. I’ll be happy to deliver any additional supplies with our quilts and pillowcases. Clients who receive our quilts and pillowcases will keep them as their personal possessions as they advance through the House of Ruth programs towards safety and independence.
Quilts and pillowcases for boys or men are often less represented in charity sewing and I encourage us all to make a point to ensure that we include those in our donations. Our initial donation included at least six specifically masculine designed quilts.
The guild has 23.5 yards of 90 inch wide Warm and White batting for charity sewing. Please contact me, Gayle Bennett, at gbennett325@gmail.com, or call or text my phone number as provided on the guild’s roster for batting, or if you have any questions regarding our charity donations. Be sure to give me the batting size, not quilt top size, that you are requesting. I’ll bring any batting requested to the Saturday, March 20, 2021, Meet and Eat at Shamel Park in Riverside. Otherwise, we can make plans to pick up or drop off. You can also contact me to mail our preprinted guild labels to you, and I’ll have a supply with me on March 20th as well. Bring any finished quilts to the park for donation. We will be glad to add our label for you if you don’t have them.
The journey to the House of Ruth:
Thank you so very much to all who have donated their time and skills in making a quilt for charity and also to Gayle and Mike for delivering them for us!! We are #iemqgproud!
Thanks to everyone who entered our 2021 Inland Empire Modern Quilt Guild Challenge. The theme for our quilt challenge was Sounds & Voices, the only requirement was a size restriction of the longest side measuring 24 inches. We hope you enjoy taking another look at these wonderful and thought provoking quilts!
A year after my dad passed (15 years ago now) I was up in the local mountains on a quilt retreat. One morning there was a magnificent blanket of snow. Walking around outside, I remember the calm I felt when I stopped to take in the beauty. The silence, stillness and peace enveloped me. This is a memory I revisit from time to time.
Quilt Title: Speech Acts for a Dying World: in memory of the 500,000 dead from Covid-19 Quilter: Elizabeth Eastmond Dimensions: 19″ high by 20″ wide
This quilt began at QuiltCon, one year ago and was finished for this challenge. While the original design was square, I reduced the visual frame to 19″ high by 20″ wide: 19 for Covid-19, and 20 for the year 2020. A restorative walk on the beach, with its crashing waves, cries of gulls, and floating random human conversations, brought to mind Peter Gizzi’s poem with its allusions to a year’s time (“hunter overhead / bear at the pole”) and the constant “sound of names / parade of names” of those who have died.
Quilt Title: Sound of Silence Quilter: Debi Gardner Dimensions: 9″ x 16″
My first ideas for this challenge all seemed so filled with angst regarding political unrest, debates regarding Covid, first amendment rights, etc., I decided I needed quiet and healing vibes. My Zen garden is quiet, peaceful, and calming.
Quilt Title: Voices for Equity Awareness Quilter: Laura Greene Dimensions: 24″ x 24″
I created this YinYang quilt because I value individual differences. The end of my 38 year teaching career lead to embracing solitude in my sewing room during Covid times. This brought to the front of my mind the importance of human resources. My life has been enriched by the diversity of my students. Last February I listened to my 7th graders who participate in sexual awareness lessons. In the summer I watched the protests for Black Lives Matter. I want to keep listening to viewpoints of others who have had different experiences that made them the way they are. We are so lucky to live in southern California where the variety of human behavior enriches our lives.
Quilt Title: Giving Voice to the River (Original Design) Quilter: Lynn Hanna Dimensions: 29” x 39”
In 2017, New Zealand granted legal personhood to the Whanganui River. By giving voice to the River our perception changes. Instead of us being a master of the River, treating it as an object to be altered and consumed, we are now part of the River. The River is a family member to be cherished, respected, and protected. The Maori Iei says, “I am the river, the river is me.”
Quilt Title: Sounds of Silence Quilter: Pat Klassen Dimensions: 20” x 22”
I went through an empty park while I was on a walk. I was struck by the absence of children playing. I felt the empty swings were the most poignant symbol of the lockdown, standing still and silent while the other playground equipment was blocked off by yellow caution tape. It was all so quiet… So sadly quiet.
Quilt Title: Then Sings My Soul Quilter: Barbara Mathews Dimensions: 19-1/2″ x 15-1/2″
During this pandemic isolation, two things came to mind for this challenge. I have about 13 bird feeders of various kinds and about 40 very large trees on my property, consequently, I hear a LOT of bird sounds throughout the day. It amazes me how many variations in the songs and the volume I hear at different times. It’s been very comforting. The “voices” I hear are from my fabrics. I challenged myself a few years ago, to first and foremost use the fabric in my stash. I save all my selvages and this piece reminds me of fabrics used in other projects. Features selvages, raw-edge applique, and thread painting.
VIEWER’S CHOICE WINNER!! Congrats, Patti!
Quilt Title: Listen to Your Art Quilter: Patti Reyes Dimensions: Slightly less than 24”x 24”
In light of our divided politics I wanted to make a quilt that would remind me to check my opinions and be more of a listener. I really tried to incorporate what I’ve learned as a guild member including Lynn Hanna’s presentations on “what makes a modern quilt”. I used bold modern solid colors, negative space and a non-traditional layout. Also I used a science/engineering element, a sound frequency wave, as my subject matter to represent the theme, Sounds and Voices. I used the color wheel from Simone Bradford’s lecture to arrange my colors so that they would really pop. Finally, I was inspired by Sandra Johnson to add embroidery and big stitch quilting. I used only materials from my stash. I had so much fun and I appreciate the guild making this opportunity for me to challenge myself. Features hand embroidery and big stitch quilting.
More Meeting Details
We continued with Lynn Hanna’s ‘What is a Modern Quilt?’ series, Part 4. Lynn showed examples of improvisation quilts. Looking forward to Lynn’s minimalism presentation next month!
Amanda, Director of Partnerships for the MQG, gave a brief tutorial tour of the website. She recapped all the resources on the MQG website that are available to members.
Announcements
MEET & EAT: We have a Meet & Eat scheduled for March 20, 2021. We’ll be meeting from 11 am to 3 pm. Bring your lunch and join in with friends at Shamel Park, Riverside. It is just off the 91 freeway (Arlington Exit). The address is 3650 Arlington Ave, Riverside, California. Please remember to bring your Valentine’s Block Lotto Block. We hope you can join us!
ALTERNATE BLOCK QUILT TOP CHALLENGE: This challenge will run from April through July. Details to follow next month.
DROP-IN SEW:
Please join us for some sewing and socializing! We have recently begun a Mod Denim interest group during Drop-In Sew via a break out room for any members interested. After Sandra Johnson’s presentation last month, we all seem to have denim fever! Future interest groups include: Alternate Grid Blocks, Color Study and Minimalism. We’ll keep you posted and feel free to let Laura Greene know of other ideas for interest groups.
We kicked off our February meeting with a bang! We had the privilege of having Sandra Johnson of Sandra Johnson Designs as our first featured speaker of the year presenting her lecture “Modern Quilts”. She began by explaining how “modern” can be tricky to define. Modern can be Big and Bold or Minimalist or Simple. Modern doesn’t have to be limited to only solid colors. She said not to shy away from using prints; you can absolutley use prints and ones that read as solids are best. She is a huge fan of using batiks in her quilts. But as we all know Sandra’s first love is DENIM! She is the denim whisperer for sure. Her use of big stitches in her denim quilts and denim wearables make them extra special and fun. Sandra shared her tip of taking traditional block pieces and making them big and bold and essentially blowing them up a few notches for maximum impact. The most stunning quilt she presented had to be her Phenomenal Woman quilt. It embodies so elegantly what Sandra Johnson Design is all about. Lastly, Sandra emphasized that you must embrace the creative process and not to focus on the imperfections, but instead “just get it done”!
Phenomenal Woman ~ Sandra Johnson Designs
MORE OF SANDRA THIS MONTH
JoAnn Fabrics is celebrating Sandra Johnson in their Black History Month promotion. Below is the quilt Sandra created for the promotion.
Sandra Johnson Designs
Fat Quarter Shop is hosting a Quilt Along for Black History Month, called “Stronger Together”. 100% of the proceeds of the pattern will go to United Negro College Fund (UNCF). The mission of UNCF is to increase the total number of African American college students and helping them persist to graduation. Below is Sandra’s Stronger Together Quilt.
Stronger Together ~ Sandra Johnson Designs
ANNOUNCEMENTS
VALENTINE’S BLOCK LOTTO: Current members should receive a block lotto project this week. Instructions and a strip of red fabric to make a 10″ string block will be included. The completed block will be collected at the Meet & Eat event on March 20th or can be mailed back to Laura: 497 W 24th St, Upland, CA 91784. We will draw a winner at the April meeting – good luck! We currently do not have a chairperson for our Block Lotto program. If you are interested, please contact us at iemodernquiltguild.com.
MEET & EAT: We have a Meet & Eat scheduled for March 20, 2021. We’ll be meeting from 11 am to 3 pm. Bring your lunch and join in with friends at Shamel Park, Riverside. It is just off the 91 freeway (Arlington Exit). The address is 3650 Arlington Ave, Riverside, California. We hope you can join us!
REMINDER
“SOUNDS & VOICES” CHALLENGE: Photos of your challenge quilt are due the Saturday prior to the March meeting which is February 27th. Email us a photo of your challenge quilt to: iemodernquiltguild@gmail.com. Please have your email subject line read “2021 Quilt Challenge”, so we can easily identify it. We are sew excited to see your entries!
As the deadline for submitting your Sounds & Voices challenge quilt is quickly approaching, we wanted to provide all the challenge details again (even if it is a tiny bit early) so that you can get going on your creative creation.
Think about highlighting a sound, a voice, a political statement, or a COVID related quilt: What have you heard or felt in the past 11 months of isolation? Is it a life-long issue that repeats? Is it a new idea? Is it a singular noise or group of audible expressions? Is it musical or shrill? How will you display sounds or voices in a visual quilt? This is your opportunity to to be as abstract or literal as you’d like. The only requirement is that the quilt is no larger than 24” on any one side – so easy, right?
Email a good-quality picture of your challenge quilt to: iemodernquiltguild@gmail.com no later than Saturday, February 27th. Please have your email subject line read “2021 Quilt Challenge”, so we can easily identify it.
Please include:
• Quilt Name/Title • Dimensions • Quilter’s full name • Origin of quilt design (original design, variation on an existing block, pattern, etc.) • A few details about what you want to say about it. This might include some construction details or things you struggled over, or things at which you were successful. It might also include what prompted you to make it, or who it is for. Pretend you are standing in front of us at our Guild Meetings, and give us the quilt’s biography. We’d love to hear it!
Thank you in advance for your entry. We are SEW looking forward to seeing what you create on March 6th!
You don’t want to miss our first featured speaker of the year – Sandra Johnson! She is a talented textile artist known for her use of repurposing denim, hand stitching, big stitch esthetics, and making quilt wearables. Sandra is presenting her lecture “Modern Quilts”. She will explore how modern quilt design, like modern art, employs design elements such as minimalism, expansive negative space, and alternate grid work. In the meantime, check out her website for inspiration prior to our meeting on February 6th. You can also find her on Facebook and Instagram as Sandra Johnson Designs.
Guests are welcome!!! Guest fee of $5.00 for non-members can be paid via PayPal to iemodernquiltguild@gmail.com no later than Friday, February 5th. The Zoom link will be sent prior to the meeting.
Update: If you are unfamiliar with making a payment via PayPal, here’s a helpful link.
We made it through 2020! Welcome Back! For our first meeting of the year, we continued with Lynn Hanna’s ‘What is a Modern Quilt?’ series. Lynn showed examples of quilts that used alternate gridwork. This transitioned perfectly into viewing an episode of Fresh Quilting “Alternate Grids” presented by Jacquie Gering. After the video, members arranged cut up blocks to arrange in various alternate grid formations. Laura led a discussion and members shared their various arrangement of the blocks as shown below.
President’s Message from Barbara Mathews
Happy New Year!! I don’t know about all of you, but this often-used salutation means more to me this year than usual! 2021 – WOW! I remember when I was a kid (back in the dark ages) I didn’t think I’d live to see the turn of the century! When I think back to all the inventions, achievements and improvements to our lives – even in the last 20 years – I can’t help but notice how far we’ve come in the art of quilting! Whether you’re a traditional, modern, art, collage or whatever style of quilter, there’s a place for you in this community – AND lots to explore and learn!
We’ve certainly had to make some adjustments this year – the “virtual” connection has taken over our lives! And, even though it’s a pain in the neck sometimes, it has kept us connected to each other. I’m not a “techie” by any stretch, so I’m forever grateful to the ladies on the Board and Committee Chairs who are, and can help us navigate this complicated (to me!) territory!
I hope you’re all having as much fun as I am exploring new techniques and finishing those dusty UFO’s during this continued lock-down. With YouTube tutorials, on-line classes, Facebook groups and sew-alongs, and other venues that have gone virtual, there are lots of opportunities to learn something new, fine-tune your skills or get encouragement and inspiration from like-minded quilters!
I pray you and your families are all staying healthy and that you’re doing one of the things we all love – QUILTING!
Renew your Membership for the Upcoming Year
We want to remind you to fill out the membership form, send in your check or use PayPal, but it’s time now to renew your Membership. It’s all up there on the tab that says “How to Join our Guild”. We have great programs and top of the line speakers planned for this year, so don’t miss out on being a member for 2021!
Announcements &Reminders
MEMBERS CORNER: Please remember to utilize the tab “Members Corner” for the Guild calendar of Upcoming Events, a downloadable Bylaws Document, and a downloadable Roster (all for personal use only). In addition, you can find the Zoom codes for the General Meetings and Drop-In Sews. It is a password-protected page, and if you’ve misplaced the password, email us for it at iemodernquiltguild@gmail.com.
UPCOMING MEETING: Our February meeting will feature Sandra Johnson who will be presenting her lecture “Modern Quilts”. More details to follow shortly. In the meantime you can browse her website prior to the meeting. Please note there will be no Show and Share at this meeting in order to devote as much time as possible to our guest speaker.
UPCOMING QUILT CHALLENGE: Our March meeting will feature our Mini Quilt Challenge, Sounds and Voices. The only guideline we have is that the longest side should measure no more than 24 inches. Think about highlighting a sound, a voice, a political statement, or COVID related quilt: What have you heard in the 10 months of isolation? Is it a life-long issue that repeats? Is it a new idea? Is it a singular noise or group of audible expressions? Is it musical or shrill? How will you display sounds or voices in a visual quilt? You can be abstract or literal. Here is an article from the New York Times that ties quite nicely into our March 2021 challenge.
We can’t wait to see your entries. Email a photo of your quilt along with the quilt title, your name, size, and inspirational statement to us at iemodernquiltguild@gmail.com with the subject line “Sounds and Voices Challenge”. Please send no later than Saturday, February 27th to allow time for prepping prior to the meeting.
INTERNATIONAL QUILT MUSEUM: We are excited to provide you with an additional resource – the International Quilt Museum (IQM)! The IQM is located on the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s East Campus. The museum has the world’s largest publicly held quilt collection, dating from the early 1700s to present and representing more than 60 countries. Diversity and inclusion are central to the University’s and the IQM’s mission and pursuit of excellence.
They have a portal dedicated to guild members where you will find information about the museum as well as resources available available to guild members, including virtual programs from their experts, downloads, Q&As, and more. You can visit the museum here to see what exhibits they are currently showing as well as upcoming events. Please use the log-in information from the email sent to members on January 1, 2021.
